DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell, who revealed earlier in the month that he is currently undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, debuted his new look when DEF LEPPARD kicked off its short run of summer festival dates this past Friday, June 21 at Hellfest in Clisson, France. You can see fan-filmed video footage of the performance below.

During a June 14 interviewed on Eddie Trunk‘s “Friday Night Rocks” radio show on New York’s Q104.3 FM, Vivian stated about his cancer battle: “I have Hodgkin’s lymphoma; it’s a kind of blood cancer. And what alerted me to the fact that something was amiss was, pretty much exactly a year ago, we were in rehearsals for the DEF LEPPARD summer tour and I developed this cough and it just wouldn’t go away. Some days it was more pleasant than others, but for the most part, I was coughing 24/7, and I just went to a few doctors and they couldn’t diagnose what was going on until they actually had a look at my chest and realized that I had enlarged lymph nodes. So I got my diagnosis, actually, just before we started, when we were in rehearsal for the Vegas shows this past March and April. And as soon as those shows were finished, I started my chemotherapy treatment, so I’m just over two months into the chemo and is going remarkably well. I’ve got to say I feel so much better, actually, since the first chemo treatment. I stopped coughing and I definitely feel like I have a lot more energy as a result of that. So obviously, there’s a lot of side effects from doing chemo, as I’m sure a lot of your listeners know. Which is one thing that’s actually really resonated with me as a result of going public with this is how many other people suffer from cancer of different shapes and forms, you know. It’s, unfortunately, a very prevalent disease.”

He added: “For me, I did kind of want to not go public with it at first, because it is a weird kind of thing. You’ve got to kind of learn to deal with it on your own terms before you can address the rest of the world about it. So, you know, I feel very comfortable going public about it. For the first couple months, I even tried to keep it from my children, because they were still in school and doing exams and stuff and I didn’t want to add to their concerns. But after a while, it’s inevitable that you, you know, something’s going on and you have to kind of come out with it and kind of explain what the situation is. But I’m very comfortable with it. I’m very comfortable with the treatment. I’m very comfortable with how my body is reacting to it. Obviously, it’s done a number on my hair so I’m a bit more Joe Satriani these days. I’m hoping that means I’m going to play even more notes like Joe.”

He’s two months into a six-month term of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of the disease which has a high clean-up rate.

And he says he wants fans to know in advance of Def Lep’s upcoming tour dates so that they’re ready for his lack of hair.

Campbell reports: “I feel fortunate that my cancer sent me an alarm call in the form of ‘the cough that wouldn’t quit’. Otherwise, how would I have known?

“After several months of trying every inhaler known to man, my doctor finally had me X-rayed. A CAT scan revealed that enlarged lymph nodes were doing wrestling manoeuvres on my windpipe – hence the cough.

“What was causing the enlarged lymph nodes, however, was yet to be determined, so I underwent a surgical biopsy on March 11, the first day of Leppard rehearsals for our Viva Las Vegas shows. Obviously, I didn’t make it to rehearsal that day, but it’s okay; I know the songs by now!”

After Hodgkin’s Lymphoma was diagnosed, Campbell was lined up for half a year’s worth of chemo, which began in April. He says: “I’m feeling rather spiffy, all things considered. Hodgkin’s has an over 80% cure rate – so by my reckoning, if you’re going to have a cancer, Hodgie’s is the one to have!

“The reason I’m sharing this with you is because, despite cancer and chemo, me and my new aerodynamic hairstyle (read: no hair) are going on tour this summer. I don’t want anyone to be so shocked by my new look that they ask for a refund. Simple economics, really.”

Campbell reports his bandmates, along with friends and family, have offered their full support as he continues his health fight. He adds: “I look forward to a summer full of shows with both Def Leppard in June/July, and the debut of Last In Line this August.”

DEF LEPPARD frontman Joe Elliott will take part in his first Twitter fan question-and-answer session on Thursday, May 2 at 5 p.m. EST.

Visit @Def_Leppard on Twitter where Joe will be answering your questions about DEF LEPPARD, Viva! Hysteria, DED FLATBIRD, DOWN ‘N’ OUTZ or anything else on your mind. Be sure to add the hashtag #AskJoe to your question post.

DEF LEPPARD recently completed an eleven-show residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas. Produced exclusively by AEG Live, the shows saw the band play its 1987 album, “Hysteria”, in its entirety as well as a selection of its greatest hits, highlighting classic material from throughout its career. Viva Hysteria! featured an elaborate set design created only for DEF LEPPARD‘s Las Vegas residency.

DEF LEPPARD last year joined the long list of rockers who have re-recorded their biggest hits in note-perfect renditions. The “2012” versions of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and “Rock Of Ages” are now available at various digital retailers and in December the band cut five acoustic songs performed during their “Rock Of Ages” tour for a medley released to iTunes.

DEF LEPPARD has signed on for a special edition of Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, set to take place April 4-7 in Las Vegas, in the midst of the band’s eleven-show residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino. The group will serve as mentors and instructors, guiding campers through their songs as well as general playing and performing techniques.

DEF LEPPARD fans can now spend four days with members of the band, jamming out to the songs we all know and love! In just a few days, you’ll learn how to play all your DEF LEPPARD favorites, such as “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Rock Of Ages” and “Too Late For Love”. This is the ultimate experience for musicians, vocalists and music fans of all sorts who want to learn to play or perfect the music of this iconic band. Whether you’re an advanced, intermediate or beginner musician, you’ll be able to perform all the classics on big stage.

Upon arrival, you’ll be placed into a band and mentored by some of the leading rock n roll experts and musicians. Some of the Rock Star counselors who will be making an appearance are Lita Ford of THE RUNAWAYS, QUIET RIOT‘s Rudy Sarzo, and that’s just the beginning! You’ll then have the opportunity to jam with the members of DEF LEPPARD; Rick Savage on bass guitar, lead vocalist Joe Elliott, Rick Allen on drums, and guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session with the band members, their record producer, sound engineer and even their tour manager, Phelim “Phay” McMahon. Prepare to get the inside scoop from the leading experts on DEF LEPPARD! The Hysteria doesn’t stop there though! Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp is taking you to see the band perform live at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino during their Las Vegas residency! The weekend wraps up with you and your Rock Brigade on stage, performing all the songs you learned over the course of this experience!

It’s time to live the dream, only at Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp! Let’s get rocked!

* Jam with DEF LEPPARD band members Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell
* Play in a band led by a Rock Star counselor
* The ultimate fan experience
* Rehearse and perform live in Las Vegas
* Write and record an original song
* Attend master classes with world renowned musicians
* Have an experience of a lifetime
* All instruments and backline provided
* Use ours or bring your own daily meals with celebrity musicians and campers
* All experience levels welcome.

Sign up now before it’s sold out.

The Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp is the world’s only place where real people get the life-changing experience of meeting, writing songs, recording and performing with their musical heroes. Created by veteran music producer David Fishof to be the ultimate music-making experience, these camps provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for musicians of all skill levels.

DEF LEPPARD‘s song “When Love & Hate Collide”, which originally appeared on the band’s 1995 greatest-hits collection “Vault”, will be released digitally for the first time on Valentine’s Day (Thursday, February 14). Check out the brand new single cover art below.

One of DEF LEPPARD‘s biggest hits, “When Love & Hate Collide” was written by vocalist Joe Elliott and bassist Rick Savage and made it to the No. 2 spot on the U.K. singles chart.

DEF LEPPARD last year joined the long list of rockers who have re-recorded their biggest hits in note-perfect renditions. The “2012” versions of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and “Rock Of Ages” are now available at various digital retailers and in December the band cut five acoustic songs performed during their “Rock Of Ages” tour for a medley released to iTunes.

DEF LEPPARD frontman Joe Elliott told <Classic Rock magazine: “We’re trying to wrestle back our career and ownership of these songs. They [Universal] own the originals; we’re at loggerheads with them over the digital rights. And as long as they’re playing silly buggers, we’ll just keep recording them again.”

The singer continued: “Until we can come to some kind of humane conclusion to this ridiculous stand-off, we’re going to say, ‘Fuck you!’ We were offered a great deal two years ago and shook hands on it. And then some other twat at the label put a stop to it. It’s our life and our music and we’re not going to let them exploit us to the extent that they’re trying to.”

Elliott previously told The Hollywood Reporter that DEF LEPPARD is in a unique position because they are one of few bands to have veto power. He said, “[Universal] can’t release our back catalog, we’re not going to let them put a song on a compilation unless we want it there, and they’ll never be able to license. They won’t be able to do anything without our permission because that’s in our contract.”

Asked to explain the crux of the band’s argument, Elliott said, “We want to get the same rate for digital as we do when we sell CDs, and they’re trying to give us a rate that doesn’t even come close. They illegally put up our songs for a while, paying us the rate they chose without even negotiating with us, so we had our lawyer take them down.

He added, “When you do your own recordings, you’re making about 85 percent and 15 percent goes to iTunes or whichever particular digital domain you put them up. Something along those lines would be fair. But they were offering us the opposite — a quarter of what we get paid on our CDs. So we thought if we can’t get them to pay us a decent rate on the digital, then we’re going to go in, re-record them and pay ourselves decently. Because we’re not fighting against our own back catalog. If we put rerecords up against the originals, nobody would buy the re-records. So what we’re trying to create is what they know by making as close as we can, forgeries of what we did in ’83, ’81, ’87…”

Tickets are on sale now and start at $49.50, with floor seats going for $125.

Speaking to Vegas.com, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen stated about the band’s decision to do the Vegas residency: “A lot of other bands do this stuff, but I think it’s a little bit more special because ‘Hysteria’ was one of the diamond albums, especially in this day and age there are not that many albums that achieve that kind of status. That’s why it’s so important to us; it’s such a big-selling album. It’s a challenge as well. We’ve never actually done that before. We’ve always said yeah we could do ‘High ‘n’ Dry’. ‘Hysteria’, that’s a lot more challenging. A lot of the songs on there are hard to sing and play at the same time.”

Asked what sort of preparation the band has to go through to be able to play the entire “Hysteria” LP live, Collen said: “We’ve been playing several songs off of Hysteria’. Even this summer on the tour we did with POISON, we were playing seven of the songs because we had seven singles off the record… So much went into that record, that we’ve been playing the hits for 25 years now. Some of the other tracks on the album, just going back and listening to the whole thing, you realize just how much went into that record. Obviously [producer] Mutt Lange had a massive influence, and the whole thing about that, so we’re just totally excited. They are such amazing arrangements that you forget.”

Regarding what he thinks it was about that album that continues to attract fans today, Collen said: “Mutt Lange is a genius. He said we can do an ultimate rock album or we can do a rock version of ‘Thriller’, where we have seven hit singles. But to do that, you have to put the extra effort in. The attitude when the album came out, a lot of people didn’t like it. They thought, oh this is too pop or they didn’t understand the crossover because it’s a perfect hybrid between rock and pop. If you look at Mutt Lange‘s track record, his biggest successes are, for example, Shania Twain. He definitely brought country to the masses. He successfully fused rock, pop music with country, and I never thought I’d see the day. I remember being in Japan and hearing Shana Twain when I was going up and down in an elevator. That, for us, like I said, it was the perfect hybrid of pop and rock that was actually acceptable. A lot of rock fans didn’t like it at first, but by the end of that year, everyone had the record. You couldn’t really escape the whole thing. It was pop music, but done rock. We kicked our ass on it. It was very different from anything that had come before it, actually.”

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell has announced the 5th Annual Dinner Party with Vivian on Saturday, January 26th at 7PM at the Cat And The Fiddle Restaurant in Hollywood, CA.

Vivian Campbell

An eBay auction has now been announced for fans to win a chance to attend the dinner. 25 fans will get the chance to hang out with him, eat a three-course meal, have photos taken and memorabilia signed. There are multiple listings with many chances to win.